Hi

As you can see from my question I am a novice when it comes to gardening. I planted two bushes, rasberry and blackberry against our garden wall last weekend and want to know if I the plants need protecting in anyway. How long to they take to fruit?

I have also planted some tomato, pepper and strawberry seeds which have germinated and are about 2 inches tall. When do I transfer to a larger pot? I am thinking of keeping them in the conservatory until we get to the end of May.

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks.

"Zamarano" wrote ...

As you can see from my question I am a novice when it comes to
gardening. I planted two bushes, rasberry and blackberry against our
garden wall last weekend and want to know if I the plants need
protecting in anyway. How long to they take to fruit?

Neither of these would I describe as a bush.

Rasberry canes are not normally grown against a wall, they should be cut
down hard now and they will grow new canes from the roots during this year
and these will fruit next year (2009) after which they too are cut down
almost to the ground leaving next years new canes to fruit the following
year...and so on. They fruit on the previous years canes.
If they are Autumn fruiting then the same applies, cut the fruited canes
down after they have finished fruiting and new ones will form for the next
year.

Blackberries are treated virtually in the same way but they are fast growers
and native so can get out of hand if you let them, they will certainly need
something to tie them to, wires etc.

You also don't mention the aspect of the wall. I do hope it's South facing,
but if it is I would have rather planted a peach or nectarine or apricot.

I have also planted some tomato, pepper and strawberry seeds which have
germinated and are about 2 inches tall. When do I transfer to a larger
pot? I am thinking of keeping them in the conservatory until we get to
the end of May.

Tomato and pepper seedlings, if they are two inches tall already I suspect
you have a problem. Not enough light and/or too much heat is probably making
them grow thin and leggy.
Are they for planting outside? If so I won't plant mine until about the end
of March at the earliest as they can't go out until the end of May beginning
of June after all chance of frost is passed.

Strawberry plants do not come true from seed so most gardeners don't grow
that way, they buy in plants propagated from runners etc. That way you get
named varieties with known qualities.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Bob Hobden writes

Rasberry canes are not normally grown against a wall, they should be cut
down hard now and they will grow new canes from the roots during this year
and these will fruit next year (2009) after which they too are cut down
almost to the ground leaving next years new canes to fruit the following
year...and so on.

Disappointing to have to wait till 2009. Could he not cut down half the
canes and have a few raspberries this year?

Worth saying that one blackberry plant is adequate, but to get a
reasonable crop of raspberries you need several plants.

Strawberry plants do not come true from seed so most gardeners don't grow
that way, they buy in plants propagated from runners etc. That way you get
named varieties with known qualities.

Unless they were one of the alpine types which are usually grown from
seed


--
Kay

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:06:30 +0000, K wrote:

Bob Hobden writes

Rasberry canes are not normally grown against a wall, they should be cut
down hard now and they will grow new canes from the roots during this year
and these will fruit next year (2009) after which they too are cut down
almost to the ground leaving next years new canes to fruit the following
year...and so on.

Disappointing to have to wait till 2009. Could he not cut down half the
canes and have a few raspberries this year?

Worth saying that one blackberry plant is adequate, but to get a
reasonable crop of raspberries you need several plants.

It depends on what variety your raspberry is, summer fruiting or
autumn fruiting. I have some of both. I cut down all my raspberry
canes to the ground this month and this has given me a good succesion
of fruit through the summer and autumn. Cut your one down and see
what happens this year.

If you can get a few more canes and have room for them, it would be
good, otherwise, as mentioned above, your crop will be very small. One
cane is not enough. You need a row of about 10 canes as a starter,
and more if you want to have real feasts.
Treatment of the blackberry is different, and one plant can soon get
out of hand if you don't prune it and tie it in properly. You need to
read up about it before next year! Is it a thornless variety? That
makes it a lot easier to handle'

Pam in Bristol